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The Perceptions Of High School Graduates Of Career And Technology Education Courses, Darryl Terrence Middleton Jan 2011

The Perceptions Of High School Graduates Of Career And Technology Education Courses, Darryl Terrence Middleton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Career and technology education (CATE) courses were offered to high school students as an alternative form of education. The research problem at the study site, which is a high school located in southeastern United States was the lack of research-based findings on high school graduates' perceptions of CATE courses. The purpose of this study was to understand the participants' perceptions of the impact of CATE courses on career goals. The research question that guided this study was: What are the perceptions of high school graduates of a CATE program? The conceptual framework was based upon multiple intelligences, differentiated instruction, and …

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The Development Of Tracking And Its Historical Impact On Minority Students, Deberae Culpepper Jan 2011

The Development Of Tracking And Its Historical Impact On Minority Students, Deberae Culpepper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the 1920s, high school students were placed on one of three tracks: high, average, and low. Over the years, vocational education was transformed into a low track assignment for students, often racial minorities, who were perceived as less intelligent. However, the interaction between vocational education and tracking policies and practices remained unclear. Using critical race theory, this study produced an historical analysis of the interaction of these two programs. This included a systematic identification of the originating factors influencing tracking and contemporary tracking policies and practices to understand how tracking affected racial minority students' access to equal educational opportunities …

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Teachers' Perceived Barriers To Technology Integration As Prescribed By 21st Century Learning Skills, Diane Killough Young Jan 2011

Teachers' Perceived Barriers To Technology Integration As Prescribed By 21st Century Learning Skills, Diane Killough Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technology is a learning and teaching tool that enhances students' communication, innovation, and critical thinking skills, also known as 21st century learning goals. Successfully using technology in the classroom to promote these learning goals, however, has presented some challenges for teachers. While research has identified a variety of obstacles that prevent teachers from using technology, little investigation has been done on the barriers of technology integration as related to 21st century learning goals. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teachers' perceived barriers to technology integration related to 21 st century learning goals. Guided by a conceptual …

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Perceptions Of Recent Male Nursing Graduates Regarding Gender Bias And Gender-Based Educational Barriers, Nancy Spahr Jan 2011

Perceptions Of Recent Male Nursing Graduates Regarding Gender Bias And Gender-Based Educational Barriers, Nancy Spahr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite decades of important contributions by male nurses, nursing is still viewed as a feminine profession. Moreover, male nursing students continue to experience gender bias and gender-based educational barriers within schools of nursing. This has led to failure and drop-out rates much higher than those experienced by their female counterparts. The purposes of this quantitative survey study were to (a) explore the relationship between perceived gender bias, gender-based educational barriers within nursing education, and resiliency in recent male nursing graduates; and (b) to identify those gender-based barriers that were considered to be most prevalent and most important. A view of …

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Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Infant Sleep-Related Deaths, Catherine M. Hogan Jan 2011

Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Infant Sleep-Related Deaths, Catherine M. Hogan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial disparity is present in deaths attributed to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and unintentional suffocation. The Back to Sleep Campaign that began in 1994 caused an overall decrease in SIDS rates, but the racial disparity has continued to increase. Researchers have analyzed and described various socio-demographic characteristics of SIDS and infant deaths by unintentional suffocation in urban areas yet have not simultaneously controlled for multiple risk factors that may contribute to racial disparity such as race, poverty, maternal education, and number of children born to each mother (parity). The purpose of this study was to determine if there is …

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The Evolution Of The African American Mother-Daughter Relationship: A Grounded Theory Study, Toneka R. Etienne Jan 2011

The Evolution Of The African American Mother-Daughter Relationship: A Grounded Theory Study, Toneka R. Etienne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The mother-daughter relationship holds a special place in the lives of African American women, given the rich history of women of African descent and the complexities of female relationships. However, few studies have discussed the evolution of this relationship and what it means in the lives of African American mothers and daughters. Using relational-cultural theory (RCT) and Black feminist theory, this qualitative grounded theory study described the experiences and evolution of the African American mother-daughter relationship. A sample of 10 mother-daughter dyads was interviewed together about their relationship. Research questions addressed how African American mothers and daughters define, maintain, and …

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The Impact Of Company Grade Officer Self-Sacrificial Behavior On Subordinate Assessments Of Leader Charisma, Danjel Bout Jan 2011

The Impact Of Company Grade Officer Self-Sacrificial Behavior On Subordinate Assessments Of Leader Charisma, Danjel Bout

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Newly commissioned officers in the U.S. Army are taught to lead their soldiers from the front and to voluntarily make personal sacrifices in the service of the nation. Although this facet of military culture is seen as critical to the integrity of the force, there are few research studies describing the impact of leader self-sacrifice in the U.S. Army. Research evolving from the transformational leadership literature indicates that civilian leaders who engage in self-sacrificial behavior are viewed as more charismatic than their counterparts and that this perception is particularly pronounced in crisis situations. The current study extended this research to …

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Patient Adherence To Oral Oncolytics, Holly Sansoucie Jan 2011

Patient Adherence To Oral Oncolytics, Holly Sansoucie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Oral oncolytics continue to come to market at an unprecedented pace. Traditionally, chemotherapy was delivered in the controlled environment of the infusion suite; however, with the increasing use of oral oncolytics, the burden of administration and monitoring has shifted to the patients and/or their caregiver. This paradigm shift, from intravenous chemotherapy to oral chemotherapy, has created new challenges in cancer care. Despite the seriousness of their diagnosis, oncology patients are not always adherent to these requirements. Oncology nurses have always taken the lead in patient education, yet that lead has mostly been in the context of intravenous chemotherapy. There is …

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How Adult Children Experience Parent Dependency In A Caregiving/Care-Receiving Dyad, Anna C. Johnson Jan 2011

How Adult Children Experience Parent Dependency In A Caregiving/Care-Receiving Dyad, Anna C. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite plentiful research on the physical, psychological, and emotional demands on adult child caregivers, there are few studies that highlight developmental issues in the adult child/dependent parent dyad. This study was designed to highlight the dependency factor in this dyad, thus addressing the gap in the literature. With family systems theory, attachment theory, and role conceptualizations constituting the bases for the study, research questions addressed how adult child caregivers experience parental dependency and how dependency affects the caregiving/care-receiving dynamic. Ten volunteer participants were interviewed, and the results were analyzed using a variation of the van Kaam method of data analysis …

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The Impact Of Personalization-Based Tailored Instructional Communications On College Student Persistence, Nichole Gibbs Jan 2011

The Impact Of Personalization-Based Tailored Instructional Communications On College Student Persistence, Nichole Gibbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The low graduation rate of degree-seeking students at public community colleges is an important crisis facing communities across the United States. College satisfaction and withdrawal cognitions in students have been identified as key factors in college persistence by researchers. However, a review of the literature revealed no study in which a college-persistence intervention based on the personalization principle theory or using tailored messages has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a college-persistence intervention, based on the personalization principle theory and Mashburn's theory, for students at a community college. This study used between-groups experimental …

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The Impact Of Professional Development Training In Autism And Experience On Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Nancy Biasotti Jan 2011

The Impact Of Professional Development Training In Autism And Experience On Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Nancy Biasotti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Regular education teachers' self-efficacy may be negatively impacted due to a lack of professional development and experience teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research links teacher self-efficacy with increased student academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine to what degree training on ASD during and following teacher certification and experience had on overall teacher self-efficacy. This one-shot case study was based upon Bandura's theoretical construct of self-efficacy and secondarily on Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk Hoy, and Hoy's theory of self-efficacy. The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scales (TSES) was used to collect data from regular education teachers with experience …

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Drills And Exercises As Interventions To Improve Public Health Emergency Response, Donna Beth Knutson Jan 2011

Drills And Exercises As Interventions To Improve Public Health Emergency Response, Donna Beth Knutson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2001 destruction of the World Trade Center and the subsequent anthrax attacks highlighted the inability of an antiquated public health system in the United States to respond effectively to emergencies. Little documentation exists to define how public health agencies can improve performance. The overarching research question was the extent to which drills and exercises improve performance in public health emergencies. Adult learning theory and deliberate practice theory were explored in this context. The research data were from 50 state public health departments, which were required to report performance information to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The …

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Enhancing The Ability Of Adults With Mild Mental Retardation To Recognize Facial Expression Of Emotions, Juna Michel Jan 2011

Enhancing The Ability Of Adults With Mild Mental Retardation To Recognize Facial Expression Of Emotions, Juna Michel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A critical element in the development of interpersonal skills is the ability to recognize facial expressions. However, in persons with mild mental retardation (PMR), social interactions based on the recognition of others' emotional states may be compromised. Guided by the theory of mind, which allows one to make inferences on someone's mental states, differentiate facts from friction, and process others' beliefs and intentions, this study determined if emotion training impacted future emotion recognition scores in a PMR population and whether the variables of gender, age, and baseline Facial Expression of Emotions Stimuli and Test (FEEST) scores predicted changes in emotion …

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Exploration Of The Project Management Practitioner's Emotional Intelligence Competencies, Linda A. Hooper Jan 2011

Exploration Of The Project Management Practitioner's Emotional Intelligence Competencies, Linda A. Hooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The success rate of information technology projects is on a downward trend, with reported losses in the billions of dollars. Recent studies indicate a 50--56% project success rate based on quality, budget, and on-time criteria. Building upon the conceptual framework of the emotional intelligence and knowledge management theories, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how project management practitioners apply self- and cultural-awareness competencies to affect project outcomes. Using a purposeful sampling method, 24 experienced U.S.-based project management practitioners participated in a web-based questionnaire. Following Giorgi's data reduction process resulted in numeric data coding. Thematic analysis revealed themes …

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A Test Of An Evolutionary Theory Of Adiposity Gain Induced By Long Sleep In Descendants Of European Hunter-Gatherers, Oleksiy Chadyuk Jan 2011

A Test Of An Evolutionary Theory Of Adiposity Gain Induced By Long Sleep In Descendants Of European Hunter-Gatherers, Oleksiy Chadyuk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have identified inadequate sleep duration as one of the factors contributing to global obesity. The purpose of this study was to test a hypothesis deduced from a new sleep-duration-based evolutionary theory claiming that sleep extension in response to lengthening night duration in early fall evolved into a behavioral marker of an approaching winter; this adaptive trait was theorized to produce adiposity gain in White men in response to sleep extension. The hypothesis was that White Americans would show a greater increase in the age-adjusted fat mass index per unit of sleep duration compared to that of Black Americans. Data …

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Asset Reuse Of Images From A Repository, Deirdre Herman Jan 2011

Asset Reuse Of Images From A Repository, Deirdre Herman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to Markus's theory of reuse, when digital repositories are deployed to collect and distribute organizational assets, they supposedly help ensure accountability, extend information exchange, and improve productivity. Such repositories require a large investment due to the continuing costs of hardware, software, user licenses, training, and technical support. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of evidence in the literature on whether users in fact reused enough digital assets in repositories to justify the investment. The objective of the study was to investigate the organizational value of repositories to better inform architectural, construction, software and other industries whether …

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Prediction Of Air Traffic Controller Trainee Selection And Training Success Using Cognitive Ability And Biodata, Karen D. Fox Jan 2011

Prediction Of Air Traffic Controller Trainee Selection And Training Success Using Cognitive Ability And Biodata, Karen D. Fox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has experienced decreased return on investment caused by hiring too many air traffic controller specialists (ATCSs) who performed poorly in field training, thus failing to become certified professional controllers (CPCs). Based on Schmidt and Hunter's theory of job performance and biodata theory, this quantitative, archival study examined whether factors of cognitive ability and biodata could predict job performance status of 2 generations of ATCSs, poststrike (PS) and next generation (NG) controllers. For each generation of controllers, binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine if any of the independent variables---transmuted composite (TMC) score for PS …

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Impact Of Nutrition Education On Student Learning, Lydia Singura Jan 2011

Impact Of Nutrition Education On Student Learning, Lydia Singura

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A goal of schools is to provide students with practical nutritional information that will foster healthy lifelong behaviors. Unfortunately, students at one school were found to have difficulty grasping basic nutritional information and practical health-related skills. There remains an important gap in current literature regarding strategies to improve students' understanding of nutrition education material. The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of a 4-week nutrition intervention unit in the Foods I classes consisting of 82 male and female students in Grades 9-12. Constructivist teaching methods were implemented to provide students with both information and valuable skills, which …

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Learning Style Needs And Effectiveness Of Adult Health Literacy Education, Leah A. Grebner Jan 2011

Learning Style Needs And Effectiveness Of Adult Health Literacy Education, Leah A. Grebner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low health literacy impacts an individual's ability to comprehend communication from healthcare providers, reduces access to healthcare, and contributes to increased mortality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of learning style on adult health literacy education. The health belief model, protection motivation theory, the transtheoretical model, and social cognitive theory were used to analyze the data in this study, and to further develop effective health literacy education. The research questions addressed the effectiveness of educational intervention adjusted to their appropriate learning style in comparison to a standardized health literacy intervention and potential difference, according to type …

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Teacher-Student Relationships And Student Writing Achievement, Jacqueline Hilary Blackmore Jan 2011

Teacher-Student Relationships And Student Writing Achievement, Jacqueline Hilary Blackmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past research has shown that learner-centered environments can improve students' self-esteem and increase their academic skills. The purpose of this study was to determine whether teaching the core curriculum within a caring classroom environment increases students ability to communicate effectively and perform at higher achievement levels in writing. The study addressed the experiences of teachers in implementing a new writing program with a strong emphasis on social skill development as a precursor to good writing. Guided by the social learning theories of Dewey, Rogers, and Vygotsky, who contended that social interaction is vital to the development of cognition, a qualitative …

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An Examination Of Awareness Of Over-The-Counter Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs And Adverse Events, Michelle Popa Jan 2011

An Examination Of Awareness Of Over-The-Counter Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs And Adverse Events, Michelle Popa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The elderly population is among the fastest growing populations in the United States. Finding and consuming medications safely and effectively are challenging endeavors for this population. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a widely consumed class of medications among the elderly population, with 70% of individuals consuming over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs once a week and 34% using them daily. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether (a) patients are aware of the risks associated with the consumption of NSAIDs, and (b) there are differences in awareness based upon specific demographic characteristics and levels of patient-physician communication. The health belief …

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Evolution Of Physician-Centric Business Models Under Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, Tanya Nix Jan 2011

Evolution Of Physician-Centric Business Models Under Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act, Tanya Nix

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For several decades, the cost of medical care in the United States has increased exponentially. Congress enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 to ensure affordable healthcare to the citizens of the United States. The purpose of this case study was to explore physicians' perspectives regarding physician-centric business models evolving under the requirements of PPACA legislation. Complex adaptive systems formed the conceptual framework for this study. Data were gathered through face-to-face, semistructured interviews and e-mail questionnaires with a purposeful sample of 20 participants across 14 medical specialties within Northeast Texas. Participant perceptions were elicited regarding opinions …

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Factors Influencing U.S. Army Personnel Meeting Body Mass Index Standards, Salma Theus Jan 2011

Factors Influencing U.S. Army Personnel Meeting Body Mass Index Standards, Salma Theus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. Army Regulations require soldiers to be fit, as excessive weight negatively impacts their readiness, health, and morale. A quantitative study examined if personal, behavioral, and/or environmental factors predict a soldier's self-efficacy and body mass index. Data were obtained from 117 soldiers on 6 scales: the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the Army Physical Fitness Test, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Stress Management Questionnaire, the Lifestyle Assessment Inventory, and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine if personal (intellectual capabilities and physical fitness), behavioral (lifestyle and stress management), and/or environmental (supervisor leadership) factors predict self-efficacy and …

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Academic Predictors Of National Council Licensure Examination For Registered Nurses Pass Rates, Maybeth J. Elliott Jan 2011

Academic Predictors Of National Council Licensure Examination For Registered Nurses Pass Rates, Maybeth J. Elliott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States continues to be affected by a severe, long-standing nursing shortage that is not projected to resolve within the next 10 or more years. Unsuccessful passage of the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) among graduate nurses remains one of several key contributors to the nursing shortage. The goal of this study was to identify if either cumulative fall semester GPA; the overall prenursing science, mathematics, and English GPA; type of high school background; TOEFL score; clinical pass or fail; and on-time program completion best predicted passage of NCLEX-RN. Archived records from the academic years of …

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A Narrative Inquiry Into The Learning Experiences Of Deaf Individuals In Tennis, Robbie Jane. Carmichael Jan 2011

A Narrative Inquiry Into The Learning Experiences Of Deaf Individuals In Tennis, Robbie Jane. Carmichael

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deaf individuals do not have equal access to participating in sports as their hearing counterparts in the United States. Tennis is one sport to which this lack of access applies. The purpose of this qualitative, narrative research study was to add to the research literature by illuminating the learning experiences of Deaf individuals in tennis in the United States. This study was built on a tripartite conceptual framework consisting of motivation, interaction, and the flow experience. The study explored how tennis influenced other aspects in the lives of Deaf individuals. These other aspects included exposure to the game, learning opportunities, …

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The Impact Of Industrial Technician Skill Losses At A West Tennessee Manufacturer, Kenneth W. Moten Jan 2011

The Impact Of Industrial Technician Skill Losses At A West Tennessee Manufacturer, Kenneth W. Moten

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business survival requires that decision makers understand the critical knowledge resources that support the business' core competencies, while also facing the challenges of current labor trends. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of the management staff at a west Tennessee manufacturing facility about industrial technician skill losses. This phenomenological design included semistructured interviews of 20 managers, supervisors, and engineers and was an exploration of the potential losses from skilled worker attrition. The foundations of labor theory; knowledge management; and accounting measurements of intangible assets in advanced technology, communications, and economic systems provided the key elements …

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Discrete Trial Instruction: Comparing The Abbreviated Performance Feedback And Lecture Test Models, Tammy J. Dobbs Jan 2011

Discrete Trial Instruction: Comparing The Abbreviated Performance Feedback And Lecture Test Models, Tammy J. Dobbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Growing media attention and a high diagnosis rate of autism places significant demand on the service industry to provide qualified staff to work with individuals who have autism. Discrete trial instruction (DTI) is one of the most sought-after treatment approaches for those individuals. However, there is a gap in research regarding the efficacy of training methods for those who train direct staff to implement DTI. This quantitative study used an applied behavior analysis basis, deriving from foundations of behavior theory, to compare the abbreviated feedback form (AFF) to the lecture test model (LTM) to understand which will improve direct staff's …

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Generational Shift And Drug Abuse In Older Americans, John B. White, David F. Duncan, Thomas Nicholson, Dana Bradley, John Bonaguro Jan 2011

Generational Shift And Drug Abuse In Older Americans, John B. White, David F. Duncan, Thomas Nicholson, Dana Bradley, John Bonaguro

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Since the problem of substance abuse by older adults began to receive serious professional attention, the focus has been almost exclusively on alcohol abuse. This reality is changing as the “baby boomers” age. We examined data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (1985) and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2006) comparing nationwide prevalence of both legal and illicit drugs. Use of drugs by category varied over the study period; some showed little change (e.g., alcohol) while others showed marked increase (e.g., marijuana, cocaine). We found that the population of older Americans in 2006 contained greater …

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Improving The Detection Of Narcissistic Transformational Leaders With The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire: An Item Response Theory Analysis, Dale Frederick Hosking Martin Jan 2011

Improving The Detection Of Narcissistic Transformational Leaders With The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire: An Item Response Theory Analysis, Dale Frederick Hosking Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Narcissistic transformation leaders have inflicted severe physical, psychological, and financial damage on individuals, institutions, and society. Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) has shown promise for early detection of narcissistic leadership tendencies, but selection criteria have not been established. The purpose of this quantitative research was to determine if item response theory (IRT) could advance the detection of narcissistic leadership tendencies using an item-level analysis of the 20 transformational leadership items of the MLQ. Three archival samples of subordinates from Israeli corporate and athletic organizations were combined (N = 1,703) to assess IRT data assumptions, comparative fit of competing IRT models, item …

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Perceptions Of The Role Of Nurses In Providing Psychosocial Care For Patients With Cancer, Kerry Suzuki Jan 2011

Perceptions Of The Role Of Nurses In Providing Psychosocial Care For Patients With Cancer, Kerry Suzuki

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychosocial care for patients with cancer is aimed at detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of psychological distress (PD). PD is a universal clinical phenomenon experienced by at least 38% of patients with cancer, yet only10% are identified as having PD. Nurses are presumed providers of psychosocial care, yet no research examined what nurses perceive as their role in caring for patients with cancer, and whether nurses believe that providing psychosocial care to patients with cancer is within their role. Patient care that rests on assumptions is too precarious; nurses' role beliefs are critical in light of their impact on practice …

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